1987 Chevrolet V20 front leaf spring replacement

[iamtherealJayy]

The truck needs new shocks all around, the front are the cheapest I could get at the time since I didn’t have much income and couldn’t afford great shocks but the fronts needed replaced. I think they’re just Monroe shocks. But after unbolting them.. they never compressed nor extended. I couldn’t even compress or extended them by hand so I’d say they’re shot.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Since it’s easier to try and video everything than taking a bunch of photos,

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Sway bar completely removed I meant to get a pic of it but it was too dark, center pins trimmed and ubolt plates sitting flush. My feet started getting wet as a made the mud get soft again lol. I’m putting wheels back on tomorrow and hopefully going to take it for a test drive.

 

[Grit dog]

Nice work! After all, it doesn’t look like the truck is racked? Did your axle offset get better?

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I’ve got no idea how the axle is setting right now, I couldn’t get the tires on last night and holy smokes is it cold right now lol it’s 100% chance of rain all day and it’s getting up to 34°… it was like 65 the last few days lol. Also why do you reckon my alignment got so far off just by changing the springs? I mean you saw the pictures it was quite the angle

 

[Grit dog]

I was wondering that myself.
Even if you changed the drag link angle significantly ( which you didn’t since old springs + blocks is some what close to new lift springs and no blocks)
That would not change the total toe, but only pull the steering one direction or the other a bit.
Only way to change toe is to adjust the tie rod.
I have no idea.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I have all new tie rod ends and even the long center tie rod, I’m going to replace all of that I just wanted to get a few miles on the springs first to let them settle and make sure everything is fine and won’t destroy my new tie rods.

 

[Bextreme04]

I’ve got no idea how the axle is setting right now, I couldn’t get the tires on last night and holy smokes is it cold right now lol it’s 100% chance of rain all day and it’s getting up to 34°… it was like 65 the last few days lol. Also why do you reckon my alignment got so far off just by changing the springs? I mean you saw the pictures it was quite the angle

I'm going to point out that the swap bar mounts are adjustable in the crossmember. Now that you have gotten the upper brackets on, you want to loosen the two brackets on the crossmember, have it parked on a nice flat surface with the wheels pointed straight ahead, and then bolt the swaybar ends to the brackets while the crossmember mounts are still loose. Once that is done, then you can tighten up the crossmember mounts and you should be good. If you adjust everything while it isn't straight and level and then tighten it down, the swaybar will always try to pull it to the previous not level position.

I would bet that the pin in that lift block sheared and let the front axle shift enough that the steering was then out of alignment. They then had an alignment done and the rod got adjusted for the new alignment. Now that you have everything back to properly aligned and tight, the drag link will have to be adjusted to get it properly aligned again. I would center the wheels, do the sway bar adjustment, then adjust the drag link to the proper length for the pitman to stick straight out from the frame with the wheels centered and the steering wheel mostly straight. Then go get a quality alignment. This will make sure the steering gear and your axle are both in the center of their throw.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

@Bextreme04 i doubt there was an actual alignment done after the wreck, when I got it you could tell it needed an alignment since the inner side of the tires were worn more. I’m hoping the pin on the lift block being broken and the sway bar pushing the axle that way is what made it off centered. The way it looks right now it looks pretty good but I’ll have to figure out what you measure off of to see since my drivers side fender is all messed up from the spring being shot and my tire hitting it pulling in the driveway. I’ll work on adjusting the tie rod and stuff to get it good enough to drive for time being and then I’ll put the all new steering in and get an alignment.

 

[hoagster]

@Bextreme04, I agree with you and I would like to reiterate what you said about the crossmember connection. I found out to bolt those on first loosely and then install the Large bolts on the plate.

Kudo's getting things back together. I wasn't trying to beat you up and sorry if it felt that way. The Sway bar is pretty tough to manipulate. I think if you had loosened all the bolts all the way around except the drive shaft. It would have be easier.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I didn’t think anything about the driveshaft in all honesty lol. The sway bar did put up a fight but I didn’t think six bolts would remove it so I never thought to take it out. I’m hoping as soon as better weather comes back to put the wheels back on and take it for a spin let things settle and see where the axle sets.
Edit: also @hoagster trust me not many things hurt my feelings lol, if it’s honest advice and you’re trying to help I’m perfectly fine feeling like I’m a ******* for doing something wrong I just needed a little push in the right direction lol.
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to measure the axle being centered? My drivers side fender is pushed out on the back near the door so just looking at it won’t be very accurate. I’ll try to include a photo of each side from when I had the 20’s

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Passenger side has the trim piece, I need three of those lol or to remove that last one. I assume truck originally had them but since the passenger fender is only one that didn’t get ruined in the wreck. The bottom bolt on the drivers side fender isn’t there and the bottom inner fender there’s a gap between it and the outer fender. I can’t move it far enough by hand to stick a bolt in

 

[hoagster]

Keep asking questions us old codgers can answer some of them. I would like to see you do these jobs a little safer and I'm sure your dad would like to see you not get hurt. When you get done get some jack stands good ones. I get it we have all been there! I had to crawl under my truck to remove the rear drive shaft one time because I lost the front u-joint. Being in gear didn't keep it from moving. That was 44 years ago!

 

[Bextreme04]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. There isn't anything you can do about centering except for get everything in the centering holes and tighten them up on flat ground. Once everything is torqued down on flat ground it should be centered.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

@hoagster trust me lol he put blocks behind the rear tires even with parking brake on and the truck in low. I avoid being under the truck if it’s not safe. I don’t like using blocks and stuff to jack up the truck but I don’t have anything better to use since it’s so high. Kinda glad I didn’t get a 6” lift. There would’ve been no way I could’ve got the truck high enough and the axle low enough lol. Plus I would’ve needed bigger tires then
@Bextreme04 im fine with it being a little off centered but before it was kinda bad like passenger side threw water,mud, dirt just everything up the side of the truck and the drivers side stayed clean. I could driver through a puddle and unless I had the wheel turned to the right the drivers side had the tire tucked the whole time. I’m trying to find some 16x12 chrome or polished wheels, so they’d be even worse for throwing stuff up but atleast it would be both sides lol and not look like I spend majority of my time driving half in the ditch.
Edit: also what’re the torque specs for all the bolts I just replaced? Leaf spring bolts front and rear, ubolts? I think so far that’s all I’ve got but I’ll eventually need sway bar torque specs too if I put it back in. I assume you don’t want the leaf spring bolts too tight or it’ll wear out the bushings faster? Maybe? Hell if I know.

 

[Bextreme04]

@hoagster trust me lol he put blocks behind the rear tires even with parking brake on and the truck in low. I avoid being under the truck if it’s not safe. I don’t like using blocks and stuff to jack up the truck but I don’t have anything better to use since it’s so high. Kinda glad I didn’t get a 6” lift. There would’ve been no way I could’ve got the truck high enough and the axle low enough lol. Plus I would’ve needed bigger tires then
@Bextreme04 im fine with it being a little off centered but before it was kinda bad like passenger side threw water,mud, dirt just everything up the side of the truck and the drivers side stayed clean. I could driver through a puddle and unless I had the wheel turned to the right the drivers side had the tire tucked the whole time. I’m trying to find some 16x12 chrome or polished wheels, so they’d be even worse for throwing stuff up but atleast it would be both sides lol and not look like I spend majority of my time driving half in the ditch.
Edit: also what’re the torque specs for all the bolts I just replaced? Leaf spring bolts front and rear, ubolts? I think so far that’s all I’ve got but I’ll eventually need sway bar torque specs too if I put it back in. I assume you don’t want the leaf spring bolts too tight or it’ll wear out the bushings faster? Maybe? Hell if I know.

Front spring bolt = 120 ft-lbs
Front shackle hanger bolts = 40 ft-lbs
U-Bolts = 130 ft-lbs

 

[iamtherealJayy]

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Got the truck sitting on its own weight, axle doesn’t look centered, and my personal opinion the drivers side still looks lower than passenger side.